Related Party Transactions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Related Party Transactions	RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS Management Agreement On November 23, 2011, SPLP, SPH Group LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of SPLP, and SPLLC entered into the Third Amended and Restated Management Agreement, effective as of January 1, 2012, to, among other things, revise the compensation to be paid to the Manager and to extend the term of the agreement. Effective January 1, 2012, the Manager receives a Management Fee at an annual rate of 1.5% of total partner’s capital, payable on the first day of each quarter and subject to quarterly adjustment. The Management Agreement will continue until December 31, 2013 and will be automatically renewed thereafter for successive one-year terms unless otherwise determined at least 60 days prior to each renewal date by a majority of the independent directors. SPLP will bear (or reimburse the Manager with respect to) all its reasonable costs and expenses of the managed entities, the Manager, SPH GP or their affiliates, including but not limited to: legal, tax, accounting, auditing, consulting, administrative, compliance, investor relations costs related to being a public entity rendered for SPLP or SPH GP as well as expenses incurred by the Manager and SPH GP which are reasonably necessary for the performance by the Manager of its duties and functions under the Management Agreement and certain other expenses incurred by managers, officers, employees and agents of the Manager or its affiliates on behalf of SPLP. For the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, the Manager earned a Management Fee of $1,978 and $1,546, respectively. The management fee is included in Selling General and Administrative expenses in the consolidated statement of operations. Unpaid amounts for management fees included in Payable to related parties were $1,978 and $2,097 at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively. The Manager incurred $215 and $268 of reimbursable expenses during the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively, in connection with its provision of services under the Management Agreement. Unpaid amounts for reimbursable expenses were $443 and $573 at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively, and are included in Payable to related parties. Corporate Services On January 1, 2012, SPH Services, a new subsidiary of SPLP, was created to consolidate the executive and corporate functions of SPLP and certain of its affiliates, including SP Corporate and SPLLC, and to provide such services to other portfolio companies. SP Corporate, through Management Services Agreements with these companies, provides services which include assignment of C-Level management personnel, as well as a variety of services including legal, tax, accounting, treasury, consulting, auditing, administrative, compliance, environmental health and safety, human resources, marketing, investor relations and other similar services. The fees payable under these agreements are initially based on the level of services expected to be provided. They are subject to annual review and adjustment and are approved by the respective company's board of directors. The agreements automatically renew for successive one-year periods unless and until terminated in accordance with agreement. Under certain circumstances, the termination may result in payment of a termination fee to SP Corporate. Consolidated subsidiaries that have agreements with SP Corporate include HNH, Steel Excel, SPLP, DGT, WebBank and BNS. Effective January 1, 2013, annual amounts to be billed to these companies are $8,885, $3,600, $3,000, $576, $250 and $204, respectively, and are eliminated in consolidation. In addition to its servicing agreements with SPLP and its consolidated subsidiaries, SP Corporate has management services agreements with other companies, including CoSine, NOVT, Ore Holdings, Inc, Fox & Hound, J. Howard Inc. and Steel Partners, Ltd., in which officers of SPLP have ownership interests. SP Corporate will charge approximately $1,474 annually to these companies. SPII Liquidating Trust SPLP holds interests in the SPII Liquidating Trust, an entity that holds certain investments which it acquired in connection with the Exchange Transaction, which the Manager and its affiliate serve as the manager and liquidating trustee, respectively, without compensation other than reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses. The SPII Liquidating Trust has an investment in Steel Partners Japan Strategic Fund, L.P. and in Steel Partners China Access I L.P. See Note 4 - "Investments" for additional information. Mutual Securities Pursuant to the Management Agreement, the Manager was responsible for selecting executing brokers. Securities transactions for SPLP are allocated to brokers on the basis of reliability and best price and execution. The Manager has selected Mutual Securities as an introducing broker and may direct a substantial portion of the managed entities’ trades to such firm among others. An officer of the Manager and SPH GP is affiliated with Mutual Securities. The Manager only uses Mutual Securities when such use would not compromise the Manager’s obligation to seek best price and execution. SPLP has the right to pay commissions to Mutual Securities, which are higher than those that can be obtained elsewhere, provided that the Manager believes that the rates paid are competitive institutional rates. Mutual Securities also served as an introducing broker for SPLP’s trades. The Commissions paid by SPLP to Mutual securities were approximately $122 and $79 for the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. Such commissions are included in the net investment gains (losses) in the consolidated statements of operations. The portion of the commission paid to Mutual Securities ultimately received by such officer is net of clearing and other charges. Other On March 31, 2012, Steel Partners, Ltd. assigned its rights, obligations and title to its New York City office lease to SPH Services. In connection with the assignment, Steel Partners, Ltd. agreed to remit $3,286 to SPH Services, subject to adjustment, which represents the present value of the lease payment obligations over the fair value of the leased facilities. In addition, for a total consideration of $1,203, Steel Partners, Ltd. sold to SPH Services the fixed assets held by it relating to the New York City location, which includes furniture, equipment and leasehold improvements. The Company agreed to reimburse Steel Partners, Ltd. $254 for occupancy costs for the three months ended March 31, 2012. These amounts were settled with Steel Partners, Ltd in the third quarter of 2012. SPLP has an arrangement whereby it holds an asset on behalf of a related party in which it has an investment. The asset had a fair value of $30,699 and $30,172 at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively. Under the terms of this arrangement, the related party is the sole beneficiary and SPLP does not have an economic interest in the asset and SPLP has no capital at risk with respect to such asset, other than indirectly through its indirect investment in such related party. No amounts related to this arrangement are recorded on the Consolidated balance sheet. For the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, SPLP was indirectly compensated for providing this arrangement by the payment of a fee. The fees were not material. The Company’s non-management directors receive an annual retainer of $150, of which $75 is paid in cash and $75 is paid in restricted common units of SPLP. The restricted units vest over a three year period. These directors are also paid fees of $1 for each board committee meeting attended. The chairmen of the Audit Committee, Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and Compensation Committee are paid an additional fee of $15, $5 and $5 annually, respectively. For the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012 non-management directors’ fees expensed were $201 and $140, respectively. Unpaid non-management directors’ fees are included in Payable to related parties and were $42 and $44 at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively. At March 31, 2013, several related parties and consolidated subsidiaries had deposits totaling $27,750 in WebBank. These deposits earned $45 in interest through March 31, 2013. Deposits of $25,708 and interest of $42 has been eliminated in consolidation. At December 31, 2012, several related parties and consolidated subsidiaries had deposits totaling $27,559 in WebBank. SPLP has an estimated liability of $116 as of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012 included in other current liabilities which, pursuant to the Amended Exchange Agreement, is indemnified by Steel Partners II (Onshore) LP (“SPII Onshore”). As a result, the Company recorded an amount receivable from SPII Onshore reported as Receivable from related parties in the consolidated balance sheet. Deferred Fee Liability to Related Party Pursuant to an assignment and assumption agreement effective as of July 15, 2009, SPLP assumed from Steel Partners II (Offshore) Ltd. (“SPII Offshore”), an entity previously affiliated with SPII, a liability due the Investment Manager an affiliate of the Manager, pursuant to a deferred fee agreement (the “Deferred Fee Liability”) in the amount of $51,594 as of July 15, 2009. In exchange for assuming the liability, SPLP received consideration of equal value from SPII Offshore comprised of $4,487 in cash and 2,725,533 common units of SPLP (valued at $17.28 per common unit as determined in connection with the implementation of the Exchange Transaction) which are held by SPLP as treasury units. The amount of the Deferred Fee Liability was indexed to the value of SPLP. The deferred fee was a fair value liability and increased or decreased quarterly by the same percentage as the increase or decrease in the index. The Deferred Fee Liability increased $11,762 in the three months ended March 31, 2012 and is reported in the consolidated statements of operations as Deferred fee liability to related party-increase. On April 11, 2012 (the "Termination Date"), the Company and the Investment Manager terminated the Investor Services Agreement, dated as of July 15, 2009, by mutual consent. Instead of receiving the deferred fee in cash, the Investment Manager elected for the total amount to be paid in common units of the Company. For additional information see Note 15 - "Capital and Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss." Investment Manager Effective as of July 15, 2009, SPLP entered into an investor services agreement (the “Investor Services Agreement”) with the Investment Manager. Pursuant to the Investor Services Agreement, WGL Capital Corp. (the "Investment Manager") performed certain investor relations services on SPLP’s behalf and SPLP paid the Investment Manager a fee in an amount of $50 per year (the “Investor Services Fee”). The Management Fee payable to the Manager pursuant to the Management Agreement was offset and reduced on each payment date by the amount of the Investor Services Fee payable to the Investment Manager under the Investor Services Agreement. In addition, SPLP bore (or reimbursed the Investment Manager with respect to) all reasonable costs and expenses of SPH GP, and the Investment Manager, or their affiliates relating to the investor relations services performed for SPLP, including but not limited to all expenses actually incurred by the Investment Manager that were reasonably necessary for the performance by the Investment Manager of its duties and functions under the Investor Services Agreement. The Investment Manager earned an Investor Services Fee of $0 and $13 for the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. Unpaid amounts for the Investor Services Fee are included in Payable to related parties and were $0 at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively.

RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Management Agreement

On November 23, 2011, SPLP, SPH Group LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of SPLP, and SPLLC entered into the Third Amended and Restated Management Agreement, effective as of January 1, 2012, to, among other things, revise the compensation to be paid to the Manager and to extend the term of the agreement. Effective January 1, 2012, the Manager receives a Management Fee at an annual rate of 1.5% of total partner’s capital, payable on the first day of each quarter and subject to quarterly adjustment. The Management Agreement will continue until December 31, 2013 and will be automatically renewed thereafter for successive one-year terms unless otherwise determined at least 60 days prior to each renewal date by a majority of the independent directors.

SPLP will bear (or reimburse the Manager with respect to) all its reasonable costs and expenses of the managed entities, the Manager, SPH GP or their affiliates, including but not limited to: legal, tax, accounting, auditing, consulting, administrative, compliance, investor relations costs related to being a public entity rendered for SPLP or SPH GP as well as expenses incurred by the Manager and SPH GP which are reasonably necessary for the performance by the Manager of its duties and functions under the Management Agreement and certain other expenses incurred by managers, officers, employees and agents of the Manager or its affiliates on behalf of SPLP. For the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, the Manager earned a Management Fee of $1,978 and $1,546, respectively. The management fee is included in Selling General and Administrative expenses in the consolidated statement of operations. Unpaid amounts for management fees included in Payable to related parties were $1,978 and $2,097 at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively. The Manager incurred $215 and $268 of reimbursable expenses during the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively, in connection with its provision of services under the Management Agreement. Unpaid amounts for reimbursable expenses were $443 and $573 at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively, and are included in Payable to related parties.

Corporate Services

On January 1, 2012, SPH Services, a new subsidiary of SPLP, was created to consolidate the executive and corporate functions of SPLP and certain of its affiliates, including SP Corporate and SPLLC, and to provide such services to other portfolio companies. SP Corporate, through Management Services Agreements with these companies, provides services which include assignment of C-Level management personnel, as well as a variety of services including legal, tax, accounting, treasury, consulting, auditing, administrative, compliance, environmental health and safety, human resources, marketing, investor relations and other similar services. The fees payable under these agreements are initially based on the level of services expected to be provided. They are subject to annual review and adjustment and are approved by the respective company's board of directors. The agreements automatically renew for successive one-year periods unless and until terminated in accordance with agreement. Under certain circumstances, the termination may result in payment of a termination fee to SP Corporate.

Consolidated subsidiaries that have agreements with SP Corporate include HNH, Steel Excel, SPLP, DGT, WebBank and BNS. Effective January 1, 2013, annual amounts to be billed to these companies are $8,885, $3,600, $3,000, $576, $250 and $204, respectively, and are eliminated in consolidation.

In addition to its servicing agreements with SPLP and its consolidated subsidiaries, SP Corporate has management services agreements with other companies, including CoSine, NOVT, Ore Holdings, Inc, Fox & Hound, J. Howard Inc. and Steel Partners, Ltd., in which officers of SPLP have ownership interests. SP Corporate will charge approximately $1,474 annually to these companies.

SPII Liquidating Trust

SPLP holds interests in the SPII Liquidating Trust, an entity that holds certain investments which it acquired in connection with the Exchange Transaction, which the Manager and its affiliate serve as the manager and liquidating trustee, respectively, without compensation other than reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses. The SPII Liquidating Trust has an investment in Steel Partners Japan Strategic Fund, L.P. and in Steel Partners China Access I L.P. See Note 4 - "Investments" for additional information.

Mutual Securities

Pursuant to the Management Agreement, the Manager was responsible for selecting executing brokers. Securities transactions for SPLP are allocated to brokers on the basis of reliability and best price and execution. The Manager has selected Mutual Securities as an introducing broker and may direct a substantial portion of the managed entities’ trades to such firm among others. An officer of the Manager and SPH GP is affiliated with Mutual Securities. The Manager only uses Mutual Securities when such use would not compromise the Manager’s obligation to seek best price and execution. SPLP has the right to pay commissions to Mutual Securities, which are higher than those that can be obtained elsewhere, provided that the Manager believes that the rates paid are competitive institutional rates. Mutual Securities also served as an introducing broker for SPLP’s trades. The Commissions paid by SPLP to Mutual securities were approximately $122 and $79 for the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. Such commissions are included in the net investment gains (losses) in the consolidated statements of operations. The portion of the commission paid to Mutual Securities ultimately received by such officer is net of clearing and other charges.

Other

On March 31, 2012, Steel Partners, Ltd. assigned its rights, obligations and title to its New York City office lease to SPH Services. In connection with the assignment, Steel Partners, Ltd. agreed to remit $3,286 to SPH Services, subject to adjustment, which represents the present value of the lease payment obligations over the fair value of the leased facilities. In addition, for a total consideration of $1,203, Steel Partners, Ltd. sold to SPH Services the fixed assets held by it relating to the New York City location, which includes furniture, equipment and leasehold improvements. The Company agreed to reimburse Steel Partners, Ltd. $254 for occupancy costs for the three months ended March 31, 2012. These amounts were settled with Steel Partners, Ltd in the third quarter of 2012.

SPLP has an arrangement whereby it holds an asset on behalf of a related party in which it has an investment. The asset had a fair value of $30,699 and $30,172 at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively. Under the terms of this arrangement, the related party is the sole beneficiary and SPLP does not have an economic interest in the asset and SPLP has no capital at risk with respect to such asset, other than indirectly through its indirect investment in such related party. No amounts related to this arrangement are recorded on the Consolidated balance sheet. For the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, SPLP was indirectly compensated for providing this arrangement by the payment of a fee. The fees were not material.

The Company’s non-management directors receive an annual retainer of $150, of which $75 is paid in cash and $75 is paid in restricted common units of SPLP. The restricted units vest over a three year period. These directors are also paid fees of $1 for each board committee meeting attended. The chairmen of the Audit Committee, Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and Compensation Committee are paid an additional fee of $15, $5 and $5 annually, respectively. For the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012 non-management directors’ fees expensed were $201 and $140, respectively. Unpaid non-management directors’ fees are included in Payable to related parties and were $42 and $44 at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively.

At March 31, 2013, several related parties and consolidated subsidiaries had deposits totaling $27,750 in WebBank. These deposits earned $45 in interest through March 31, 2013. Deposits of $25,708 and interest of $42 has been eliminated in consolidation. At December 31, 2012, several related parties and consolidated subsidiaries had deposits totaling $27,559 in WebBank.

SPLP has an estimated liability of $116 as of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012 included in other current liabilities which, pursuant to the Amended Exchange Agreement, is indemnified by Steel Partners II (Onshore) LP (“SPII Onshore”). As a result, the Company recorded an amount receivable from SPII Onshore reported as Receivable from related parties in the consolidated balance sheet.

Deferred Fee Liability to Related Party

Pursuant to an assignment and assumption agreement effective as of July 15, 2009, SPLP assumed from Steel Partners II (Offshore) Ltd. (“SPII Offshore”), an entity previously affiliated with SPII, a liability due the Investment Manager an affiliate of the Manager, pursuant to a deferred fee agreement (the “Deferred Fee Liability”) in the amount of $51,594 as of July 15, 2009. In exchange for assuming the liability, SPLP received consideration of equal value from SPII Offshore comprised of $4,487 in cash and 2,725,533 common units of SPLP (valued at $17.28 per common unit as determined in connection with the implementation of the Exchange Transaction) which are held by SPLP as treasury units.

The amount of the Deferred Fee Liability was indexed to the value of SPLP. The deferred fee was a fair value liability and increased or decreased quarterly by the same percentage as the increase or decrease in the index. The Deferred Fee Liability increased $11,762 in the three months ended March 31, 2012 and is reported in the consolidated statements of operations as Deferred fee liability to related party-increase. On April 11, 2012 (the "Termination Date"), the Company and the Investment Manager terminated the Investor Services Agreement, dated as of July 15, 2009, by mutual consent. Instead of receiving the deferred fee in cash, the Investment Manager elected for the total amount to be paid in common units of the Company. For additional information see Note 15 - "Capital and Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss."

Investment Manager

Effective as of July 15, 2009, SPLP entered into an investor services agreement (the “Investor Services Agreement”)

with the Investment Manager. Pursuant to the Investor Services Agreement, WGL Capital Corp. (the "Investment Manager") performed certain investor relations services on SPLP’s behalf and SPLP paid the Investment Manager a fee in an amount of $50 per year (the “Investor Services Fee”). The Management Fee payable to the Manager pursuant to the Management Agreement was offset and reduced on each payment date by the amount of the Investor Services Fee payable to the Investment Manager under the Investor Services Agreement. In addition, SPLP bore (or reimbursed the Investment Manager with respect to) all reasonable costs and expenses of SPH GP, and the Investment Manager, or their affiliates relating to the investor relations services performed for SPLP, including but not limited to all expenses actually incurred by the Investment Manager that were reasonably necessary for the performance by the Investment Manager of its duties and functions under the Investor Services Agreement. The Investment Manager earned an Investor Services Fee of $0 and $13 for the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. Unpaid amounts for the Investor Services Fee are included in Payable to related parties and were $0 at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively.